The Blood in your Veins
by Shugs
Summary: *With the blood of an angel, you WILL kill one to save millions* - When Sam cuts ties with his brother, letting his darkside take over; Castiel & Dean turn to desperate measures to save mankind from the looming Apocalypse. Alternate ending to season 4.
1. Chapter 1

The Blood in your Veins - Part 1

Dean splashed the warm water on his face, closing his eyes for a moment to reflect on the day he'd just had. The day that had changed everything in the blink of an eye. Sam as he knew him, was gone and the road he was on just seemed to be getting narrower. He'd promised his servitude to the angel who had pulled him from Hell, but now regretted his decision as he watched his little brother slide over to the dark side he feared. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, jumping slightly when he caught the reflection in the mirror of the angel standing behind him in the small motel washroom. "Dude, you couldn't wait till I was done?" He groaned, turning to face the angel that had suddenly appeared.

"We need to talk." Castiel started, eyeing the busted lip and bruised cheekbone.

"I'm not really in the mood Cass." Dean growled, passing a towel over his face to dry the dripping water. "In case you haven't noticed, I just had my ass handed to me by the only person I had left."

"That's what we need to talk about." The angel continued. "Dean, your brother is getting stronger by the second and the demon blood is taking over what little human nature he has left. All he cares about is killing Lilith..."

"So let him kill the bitch." Dean interrupted, tossing the towel on the side of the vanity. "Let him do the dirty work for you, if she's dead she won't be breaking the finale seal, right?"

"Dean, killing Lilith is the finale seal." Castiel cut in, silencing the other man mid sentence. "Sam doesn't know that he is doing exactly what she wants him to do, and I'm starting to think that Ruby is helping Lilith lead him astray."

"So why are you here telling me all this?" Dean growled, pointing to the closed bathroom door. "Go tell Sam, he might actually listen to you."

"He won't, and we're running out of time." Castiel replied sternly. "Your brother has chosen to follow a dark road and you need to stop him before he unleashes the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Castiel paused for a moment as he watched Dean's eyes fall to the floor. "I gave you time to talk him out of his addiction, I gave you time to reason with him, but I can no longer sit and wait for the two of you to sort this out."

"So let's throw another intervention, get him off the demon blood before he does any damage."

"Dean, Sam will not get better." Castiel said quietly. "He's passed a point of no return and what he's doing will only get worse." The angel paused for a moment as he watched the man in front of him struggle with the severity of the situation he now found his brother in. "This isn't your fault." He started. "The time has come and Sam made his choice; what he is doing is no longer considered to be human. He will free Lucifer from Hell and I can't let that happen.... I can't let you, let that happen."

"Why me?" Dean curtly replied, looking back up to catch the angel's eyes. "You're the freakin' angel; you were powerful enough to drag me out of Hell, you should be able to stop Sam..."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Castiel started calmly. "Only a mortal soul who willingly sacrificed himself, for the good of another has the strength to stop the demon's chosen son."

"And by the demon's chosen son you mean Sam, right?" Dean asked, already knowing what that meant about his little brother.

Castiel gave him a nod. "I know this must be hard for you to understand..."

"You think?" Dean barked.

"You are one of a kind." Castiel continued. "By selflessly devoting your life, for the good of your fellow man, you proved yourself worthy of this task. Dean, you are a true warrior and I pulled you from hell for only one purpose... to stop your brother from opening the gates of Hell. To save mankind."

"Yeah, and how do you suppose I'm going to do that?" Dean asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I already tried talking to him, he's not going to listen..."

"You tried it your way and you did everything you could... but we're running out of time, so now we try it my way." Castiel cut in, pulling a knife from the inside pocket of his overcoat. "The reason your brother is so strong, is because of the demon blood he's put into his system." Castiel paused for a moment as he watched Dean's eyes drift down to the silver blade in his hand. "This works both ways, with angel's blood, you will level the battle field."

Eyeing the sharp silver blade, Dean couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. "You can't be serious, you want me to drink your blood?" He asked, the very thought making him gag as Castiel gave him a nod. Dean shook his head. "No, I am not going to...."

"This is no longer a choice." Castiel interrupted. "With the blood of an angel, you will be as strong as your brother and you WILL kill one, to save millions."


	2. Chapter 2

The Blood in your Veins Part 2

The silence that filled the tiny room, was deafening. The time to repay his debt had come and Dean knew there was nothing more he could do, to save his brother from the dark side he had given into. As he eyed the long, sharp knife in the angel's hand, his father's bleak warning circled in his head. *If you can't save him, you might have to kill him.* Though the words had haunted him for years, never before had they hit so hard. "Dad knew it would come to this, didn't he?" He asked.

"Your father did everything he could not to put this on your shoulders, Dean." Castiel replied quietly, watching as the man in front of him tried to keep himself together.

Dean gave the angel a solemn nod, his heart sinking like a stone as another haunting voice rose from his memories. "Mom knew it would eventually come down to this too, didn't she?" He asked, his voice now barely above a whisper.

"The angels are watching over you..." Castiel replied softly, echoing his mother's words from the past. "Here I am, Dean."

"Not really what I had in mind..." Dean replied, his mother's words bittersweet coming from the angel in front of him.

"Not what she had in mind for you either..." Castiel answered. Standing only a few feet apart, he could sense the overwhelming pain and hurt Dean was harboring deep inside. Though unable to feel any of it himself, Castiel knew it was likely eating the young man alive.

"Dean swallowed the lump caught in his throat as he used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I will do this for you, for mankind if you promise me one thing." He started, breaking the silence as he watched the angel's piercing eyes study him carefully. "I will kill one to save millions, only if I don't survive the finale battle."

"Dean, you were chosen to live on, you are the savio..."

"I won't be able to live with myself." Dean cut in, silencing the angel with a desperate tone of voice. "And I can't live without him, Cass..."

There was a moment of silence and as their eyes locked, Castiel reluctantly gave him a nod. "Very well." He replied simply.

"Promise me..." Dean pushed, waiting for the angel to give him his word. "Promise me that I wont make it out of this alive..."

"This I promise you." Castiel replied, setting the knife down on the small vanity as he pulled off his overcoat and draped it over the edge of the bathtub.

Dean watched intently as the angel rolled up his sleeve and grabbed the knife. Without hesitation, Castiel cut a slit into his own flesh, instantly drawing blood from his forearm. Dean watched the dark red liquid roll in streaks down the angel's arm as he offered it to him. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but knew it was a last, desperate attempt to save mankind. He took a deep breath as he grasped Castiel's arm, pausing for a moment before bringing it towards him and leaning in to drink the warm, rich liquid.

Though his mind and morals screamed at him, his gut reassured him that what he was doing, truly was for the best. He reluctantly swallowed the blood that was pumping through the angel's veins, closing his eyes as he felt the warm liquid run down the inside of his throat. The taste of his own blood had often lingered in his mouth, but by comparison, Castiel's was much sweeter.

"With my blood is in your system, you will have my strength." Castiel started, watching as Dean finally let himself enjoy the lifeline he was given. "Sam will try to stop you, but you shouldn't listen to him. As long as he is influenced by the evil running through him, he is not your brother." Castiel paused as Dean pulled away, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "As the angel's chosen son, you will have the power and strength to kill both Lilith and the one set to break the finale seal."

"Sammy..." Dean said quietly, watching as the angel in front of him once again simply gave him a nod.

"Killing both will guarantee that Lucifer stays bound in Hell." Castiel replied. He passed a hand over the cut he had made in his arm and in the blink of an eye, the wound had closed without leaving a mark. "There will always be evil, but as long as we are here to fight it, we will keep it at bay." He said, reaching into the back of his belt to pull out the Colt.

When he reached over to place it on the vanity at his side, Dean's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" He asked, amazed to see the gun he thought had been lost forever.

"I have my ways." Castiel replied. "There is only a single bullet left, you will use it to kill Lilith, and no one else." Dean gave him a nod. "Now, give me your arm." The angel demanded, putting a hand out towards the younger man.

Dean did as he was told, cringing when Castiel held his arm with one hand and carefully cut a slit into his flesh. He swore under his breath as blood started seeping from the gash the moment the large silver blade broke his skin. He then watched as the angel sliced his own palm and quickly pressed the open wound to the one in his arm.

"When you drive this knife into your brother's heart." Castiel started, his firm grip on Dean's arm ensuring their blood would mix. "You will open your own wound and press it to his, like so. Your mixed blood will cleanse his body and soul of the evil in his system. This will not save his life, only guarantee that his true nature will be restored."

Dean gave him a nod as he closed his eyes for a moment. Through Castiel's tight grip, he could feel the angel's strong pulse resonating deep inside his soul... His righteous heart was literally pumping blood directly into his veins, giving him a new kind of strength. In a matter of only seconds, the guilt that had trailed him throughout his life, was gone. His mind was at peace and his conscious was suddenly clear. He knew what needed to be done and understood that the fate of mankind, was resting on his shoulders. When Castiel released his grip, Dean opened his eyes with a new sense of purpose. He watched in amazement as the angel passed a hand over the gash in his arm, healing it right before his eyes. When Castiel passed him the knife, he knew the time had come.

"I'll bring you to him, but I cannot do this for you." Castiel started, catching the other man's eyes. "I watched you tear yourself apart for years... unable to show you the way until my orders were given... I was there all along, I know what Sam means to you, and I'm sorry you have to do this."

There was a moment of silence and Dean reached for a hug, catching the angel by surprise. "Thank you for your help..." He whispered, holding him near for a moment. "I may not have known that you were always there with me... but I know that you are here now, and that you'll see me through this."

Castiel returned the hug, wondering how such a simple gesture could comfort and reassure a mortal soul. "I have faith in you Dean." He said quietly. "I always have."

When Dean finally released his grip, he was no longer in the tiny motel washroom. He was standing alone by his car in an empty dirt lot, the stone ruins of a large church littered the landscape in front of him. Aside from the cold rain and the fast approaching storm, there was no sound at all. He took a quick glance around, and when his eyes caught the back end of Ruby's orange Mustang tucked away in the shadows, he knew he was right where he was supposed to be. "Here we go Cass..." He said out loud as he quietly made his way towards the church. 


	3. Chapter 3

Dean snuck down the empty corridors, the wind howling as it rushed passed him through open doors and broken windows. The rain drops that rolled down his leather jacket trailed the floor behind him as the approaching storm grumbled overhead. He could hear his brother's voice bounce off the stone walls around him, leading him towards the rear of the old building. When he turned a corner, he couldn't help but freeze. Through the open doors at the end of the hall, he could see Lilith up against the wall, his brother holding her in place as Ruby looked on.

With his heart in his throat, he wasted no time making his way over. He quickly pulled the Colt from the back of his belt, and steadied himself as he took his one and only shot. When Lilith collapsed to the floor, her dark blood spilled and wasted by someone other than the demon's chosen son, he knew he was one step closer to saving mankind.

The gunshot that echoed through the halls, caught Sam and Ruby by surprise. The pair turned to face him as he walked into the room, extending his hand at arm's length before letting the Colt fall to the floor. The moment Ruby caught his eyes, he knew that she could see something his little brother couldn't... an angel, without wings.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked, watching as Ruby suddenly took a panicked step back, stumbling over debris that littered the floor.

"Something I should have done long ago..." Dean replied menacingly, grabbing Castiel's knife from the back of his belt as he quickly made his way towards the demon.

"Dean, stop it!" Sam shouted, his words doing little to deter his older brother. "DEAN, STOP!" He shouted again in a vain attempt to get the other man's attention. When his brother once again gave no response, Sam put a hand out towards him, using his psychic energy to stop him in his steps.

Though he could feel the resistance in the air around him, Dean was not affected by his brother's tight grip. He turned slightly to face the younger man, pausing for only a moment before turning his attention back to the bitch he had cornered against the wall. Without hesitation, he drove the knife into her throat, instantly killing the demon that had led his brother astray. When he pulled the knife free and Ruby dropped to the ground at his feet, he turned to face the younger man, surprised to see Sam's eyes were no longer green, but void and black. Castiel had been right, the man in front of him, was no longer his little brother.

Both looked over as the large doors slammed shut, the sound jumping off the walls around them reminding Dean that Castiel was indeed there with him. His grip on the knife tightened as he made his way towards the other man. As he approached, Sam once again tried to hold him in place with his psychic grip. "Doesn't work on me Sammy..." Dean replied, closing the little distance there was between them.

"Dean, this is crazy..." Sam said, taking a step back as his older brother took one forward. "What the hell's gotten into you."

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Dean growled, pausing in his steps as he caught the other man's eyes. Though they were void and black, he could have sworn he'd seen a gleam of yellow. "Sammy I did everything I could to keep you from this, but you brought it on yourself. You knew the demon blood was bad for you, you knew that..."

"Dean, I did it so I would be strong enough to kill Lilith." Sam cut in, a touch of panic hidden in his tone.

"No, you did it because the damn demon bitch made you believe it was the only way you could get revenge." Dean barked. "They set you up Sammy, both of them, and you went along for the ride." Dean paused for only a moment as he tried to find his words. "Killing Lilith was the finale seal, only you could break it, so Castiel pulled me from Hell to stop you..." He paused again as he shook his head. "I tried Sammy, god knows I tried, but you didn't listen. You liked it so much that you went over the edge, you let the dark side take over... There's no turning back and now I have no choice."

As Sam eyed the sharp blade in Dean's hand, a somewhat cryptic smile crossed his lips. "After all the times you spent saving me, after everything you sacrificed, you're actually going to kill your own brother?" He asked.

"You're not my brother..." Dean replied, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "The Sammy I loved got lost in the mix."

"You don't have it in you." Sam pushed.

"You're right, I don't..." Dean replied, taking a few steps towards the other man. "But I'm not alone on this." He replied, quickly lashing out with the sharp blade in his firm grip. Sam backed out of the way, but not before taking a punch to the face and a deep cut to the forearm. Quick on his feet, Dean dodged Sam's right fist, cutting him just below the left shoulder as he took another swing with the knife.

Sam clutched his arm as he took a step back, pulling Ruby's knife from the back of his belt as Dean took a threatening step forward. Distracted by a punch to the face, Dean never saw the knife in his brother's hand until he felt it plunge into his abdomen.

The pain of the impact made him double over, but he took the moment to his advantage as he sliced a gash across Sam's hand and threw a punch that sent the other man to the floor. He swore under his breath as he grabbed Ruby's knife and pulled it from his abdomen, tossing it aside as he quickly pinned the younger man to the floor. Grasping Castiel's knife with both hands, he wasted no time thrusting it into his brother's chest.

Sam's scream was lost in the thunder roll as blood started pouring out of the wound. Dean immediately pulled the knife free from his brother's chest, using it to cut a slit into his own palm. The pain of the deep cut was nothing compared to the one searing his lower left side. He hooked a finger in the whole of Sam's shirt and tore it open to reveal the stab wound he had inflicted. He then pulled his little brother into a sitting position, holding him in place as he pressed his cut palm to the hole in Sam's chest.

For a moment, he could no longer hear the storm outside or the wind howling as it rushed through broken windows. He could feel the blood seep through his fingers as Sam's pulse started to weaken. It was almost as if his heart was pumping for both of them, pushing his and Castiel's blood through Sam's veins to flush out the demon's toxic mix. When a hand lightly pressed his down into his brother's chest, he was pulled away from the moment and back to reality. Sam's eyes were no longer void and black, but green and filled with tears.

"Dean, I'm so sorry..." Sam breathed, his light grip barely even there. "I'm sorry you had to do this..."

Unable to think of anything but Sam's failing pulse and the blood streaking down his arm, Dean swallowed hard. "I love ya Sammy. Always have and always will..." He whispered, everything he had just done starting to hit him.

"I love... you too, Dean..." The younger man replied, his eyes closing as he took his last breath and his pulse disappeared.

The blood that was surging through his fingers, was now only leaking out. Dean choked back a sob as he pulled the younger man to him in a hug. For the second time in his life, Sam had just died in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

The blood running down Dean's arm was slowly draining his system of the life he no longer wanted to live. His job was done, Lilith was dead and so was the demon's chosen son. He'd even managed to get the demon who'd come between him and his brother out of the way. He swallowed hard as he eyed the pool of blood he was kneeling in, it was a mix of Heaven, Hell and Winchester legacy. "You said I wouldn't survive this Cass..." He started quietly, holding Sam's lifeless body tight as the tears started to fall. "You promised me..." Though his voice was barely above a whisper, he knew it would be heard.

"You're not going to..." Castiel replied, stepping out of the shadows. "I gave you my word." His footsteps echoed in the large room as the angel carefully made his way towards the men on the floor, the sight was one he knew would stay with him forever. He knelt down next to them, and as he caught the anguish in the other man's eyes, he could have swore he'd felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "Dean, you did what you had to, and the story of what took place here tonight, will live on." He started, knowing his words could never be enough to comfort the man in front of him.

"Cass, I don't care anymore..." Dean choked, struggling with his words as he held onto his little brother. He sucked in a breath, letting the pain in his abdomen take over as blood continued to stream out of the gash in his palm. "I just want this to be over."

"It will be soon enough." Castiel quietly replied, knowing that the only thing keeping the other man alive was the one thing they now had in common, the blood in their veins. What Dean didn't know and what Castiel didn't have the heart to tell him, was that the angel blood had a supernatural property, the ability to heal and immortalize the soul. By drinking his blood, Dean had temporarily consumed the energy and strength needed to overcome the physical aspect of his human nature. But by mixing the angel's blood with his own, Dean had permanently altered what made him human in the first place. The blood trickling out of the gash in his palm was quickly being replaced by the angel blood that was slowly taking over his system. Castiel swallowed hard, knowing that for him to keep his promise, he would have to take the other man's life, before Dean's system was as pure as his own. He reached down to the floor and his hand grasped the handle of the silver blade.

Dean couldn't help but close his eyes, choosing to ignore the fact that he had just seen Castiel grab the blood drenched knife from the floor at his side. "I don't want to feel this way..." He whispered holding Sam tight as he waited for the sharp blade to pierce his skin. Living through his brother's death had been harder the second time around, because the second time, he had been the one responsible. After all of the times he had been there for his little brother, after everything he had sacrificed for the younger man, he had still failed him. "I'm ready Cass..." He whispered.

Castiel's grip on the knife tightened as his eyes focused on angel's chosen son, a man who was choosing death over immortality. He took a deep breath as he kept his end of their bargain, thrusting his silver blade into Dean's back. He closed his eyes as he pulled the knife free and put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Just relax..." He said softly, hating himself for keeping his word.

The sharp pain that ripped through his back quickly spread, making every breath unbearable as he struggled to hold onto his brother. "I don't want to feel this way Cass..." Dean whispered.

"Then let it go." Castiel replied simply, wiping the blood from his knife as he got to his feet and put a hand down to help the other man up. "You did what you had to, now you need to let it go." He said calmly.

Dean looked up at the angel's hand but couldn't bring himself to let go of Sam. "I can't, Cass.."

"Yes you can." Castiel continued, tucking his knife away. "Just take my hand, I'll help you up." When Dean reached up to take his hand, the angel took his soul.

Dean paused for a moment when he noticed the blood was no longer streaming down his arm. The gash in his palm was gone and as he got to his feet, so was all the angst, guilt and pain. When he took a step back, his eyes fell to the two men on the floor and the pool of blood he had just stepped out of. It was all too surreal, a scene from a nightmare that was playing out right before his eyes. There he was lying on the floor, slumped over in a pool of blood as he still held onto his little brother. Blood was dripping from a long cut in his leather jacket, streaking down to the floor from a large gash in his back. Dean swallowed hard, the thought striking him like the lightning that tore the sky apart outside. "Am I..." His words trailed off as he turned to face the angel who'd pulled him from Hell. Standing at Castiel's left, was Sam and at his right, stood a reaper he'd met twice before.

"Dead?" Castiel said, completing the question as he watched Dean take a second look at his body on the floor. "Yes Dean, you are." He continued. "A promise is a promise."

There was a moment of silence as Dean gave the angel a nod. "Thanks Cass." He said quietly, knowing that taking his life was bittersweet for the angel who'd pulled him from Hell. When he caught his brother's eyes, Dean couldn't help but make his way towards him, the other man doing his part to meet him in a tight hug. "Sammy I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"Don't be." Sam replied. "This is my fault." When he pulled away from the hug, he couldn't help but take his brother's hand, turning it over to examen the large scar in his palm. "That must have hurt..." He remarked with somewhat of a smile.

Dean returned the slight smile as he slapped the younger man in the chest. "Not as much as that one did I bet." He replied. Curious, he pulled up the bottom of his own shirt to take a look at the stab wound in his abdomen. To his surprise, the gash was gone and in it's place was a three inch scar.

"Dean, I knew what I was doing but I couldn't stop myself..." Sam blurted, his eyes focusing on the scar he had left.

"Demon blood is a powerful toxin." Castiel replied, getting their attention. "The concentration you had was so high, that you were one of them. The only one who could kill you, was the angel's chosen son; a man who devoted his life for the well being of those walking the streets along side him."

"He was so important to you that you had to pull him from Hell?" Sam asked with a smile, proud to hear his brother's hard life had not all been in vain.

Castiel gave him a nod. "He is one of a kind, you both are and because of it, you now have a choice to make." The angel paused for a moment as the men in front of him caught his eyes. "You can either both move on to the promised land, join your family and loved ones to spent eternity in peace..."

There was a moment of silence as the brothers glanced at each other, the grumbling thunder echoing in the room. The thought of seeing their parents again; for Dean to get to know Jessica and for Sam to get to know his mother... it was almost too good to be true. "Or what?" Dean asked for both of them.

"Or you can stay here at my side and fight." Castiel replied. "The two of you are the best I've seen and it would be an honor to have you fight alongside the angels."

Sam and Dean glanced at each other, the angel and reaper waiting patiently for an answer as the pair struggled with the decision. Move on to the other side and spend eternity in paradise or stay among the shadows of earth and fight for the peace both had been forced to live without. "Are Mom, Dad and Jess happy?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.

Castiel gave him a nod. "Yes, they are." He replied simply.

"Then I'm going to stay here and fight." Sam declared. "So that no one else has to grow up like we did."

Castiel gave the younger man a nod. "Dean?" The angel asked, getting the older man's attention. "What about you?"

There was a moment of silence as Dean's eyes drifted down to the scar in his palm, his thoughts going back to the moment he had taken the blood drenched knife from his brother's chest to cut open his very own flesh. Looking past his hand, his eyes fell to the two bodies on the floor. Everything was so vivid, he could still feel the warm liquid pulse through his fingers and he could still taste the iron in Castiel's blood. He swallowed hard, a shiver crawling down his spine as the crash of thunder made him jump.

"Dean?" Sam asked, getting his brother's attention.

When he caught his younger brother's eyes, he couldn't help but smile. "I'll stay here and fight." He answered, turning to face the angel who'd taken his life. "This is all I know and what I'm good at."

Castiel gave him a nod. "It truly is an honor to have you under my wing."

"Do we get wings?" Dean asked, amused to see Castiel crack a smile for the very first time. "Hey, it's a legitimate question."

"You'll have to earn your wings... but the way you two hunt, you'll have them in no time." Castiel replied. "Together, you do better than either one of you does alone."

"That's reassuring." Dean replied as he fished the keys to the Impala out of his pocket. "What about my baby?"

"You won't be needing her anymore..."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Dean replied sadly. "Can we take her out for one last spin?"

"I see no harm in that." Castiel replied.

"What about the mess?" Sam asked, pointing to the bodies and the blood on the floor.

"I'll take care of it, you boys enjoy the drive... I'll find you when it's time to go."

"Thanks Cass." Dean said as he gave his brother a smile and the pair headed down the hall.

****************

Dean slid in behind the wheel, closing the door before putting the key into the ignition. As Sam slid into the passenger seat, he took a moment to enjoy the feel of the steering wheel between his hands. The idling engine purred, drowning out the storm outside as the headlights lit up the darkness of night in front of them. "So what do you think, Sammy? Are we in over our heads this time?" Dean asked, glancing over to catch his younger brother's eyes.

"Does it matter?" Sam replied with a slight smile.

"Not as long as you're with me." Dean replied, turning his attention back to the road ahead as he put his foot to the floor. The engine roared to life in response, sinking both men into their well worn leather seats as mud flew up from the empty lot and the Impala tore out onto the road for one last spin.


	5. Chapter 5

Bobby sat up in his bed as the sound of screeching tires and a revving engine drifted in through his open window. He swore under his breath as he tossed the covers aside and got up to take a look out into the night. Though he couldn't see the car, he knew what a revving engine along a deserted stretch of road meant. "Damn kids..." He muttered to himself as he took a quick glance at the clock on his dresser, it was just past three in the morning. Lightning lit up the distant sky, its faint thunder roll lost among the spinning wheels and horsepower. As the sound of screeching tires pierced the otherwise peaceful night, the engine roared to life, devouring the road ahead as it furiously approached.

He watched from his bedroom window as a set of headlights came into view, and was surprised when he saw Dean's Impala break through the fog to make a sharp turn into his driveway. In a matter of only seconds, the speeding car skid into a fishtail and came to an abrupt stop in front of his home. He quickly dressed and raced down the stairs, wondering what in the world was after his boys this time.

He stepped out onto his porch and quickly made his way down the front steps as Dean cut the engine. "First time daddy hands you the keys, Winchester?" He asked, waiting for one of them to crack a smile as Sam and Dean stepped out of the Impala. "Any particular reason you're driving that like you stole it?"

"Actually there is." Dean replied, pausing as he watched the older man's eyes quickly dart from him to his brother. It was almost as if Bobby had seen them both for the very first time. "What's wrong?"

"What the hell did the two of you do?" Bobby asked, eyeing Sam as the other man made his way around the car. "You don't have demon blood in you anymore." He stated, pointing to the younger of the two as he took a step back.

"How do you know that?" Sam asked, surprised it took so little time for Bobby to notice something had changed.

"I've been doing this long enough to pick up on some of this stuff." Bobby quickly replied. "I can see it in your eyes, I can almost feel it..."

"Bobby, calm down..." Dean said, getting the hunter's attention.

"And you..." Bobby started, turning to face the older of the two. "Well I have no idea what you've done but it's almost as if your slates been wiped clean... You're like, like a goddamn angel without wings."

"You have no idea how right you are on that one." Dean replied, leaning back against his beloved car as he watched Bobby's eyes drift back towards Sam.

"Boys, what's going on here..." Bobby asked, his stern tone of voice demanding an answer.

There was a moment of silence as Sam and Dean took a glance at each other, neither quite sure how to break the news. "Bobby..." Dean started, pausing as he tried to find his words. "Castiel gave me the strength I needed to kill Lilith and the Demon's chosen son... I stopped the Apocalypse tonight."

"That's not it, is it?" The hunter replied, knowing there was much more too it than that.

Dean shook his head as he pointed towards his brother. "Sam was the one I had to kill, he was the Demon's chosen son."

"What? you're dead?" Bobby asked, unable to believe what he had just heard as he turned to face the younger man. "Like, dead dead?" Sam simply gave him a nod, unbuttoning the top of his shirt to reveal the large scar across his chest. Bobby couldn't help but reach out to pass a hand over the mark, he needed to touch it, needed proof that this was for real. "You're a spirit?" He asked, waiting for Sam to give him another nod before he turned to Dean. When he caught the other man's eyes, he knew there was still more to come. "What about you? I'm getting some pretty creepy virtue vibes over here... It's like you're here, but it's not just YOU anymore."

"I didn't survive either..." Dean replied quietly, choosing to leave out the part where he had chosen his own fate. "It's still me, but Castiel put his blood in my system so I 'd be strong enough to could kill Sammy..."

"I'm sorry, he did what?" Bobby asked, cutting the other man short. "I thought I just heard you say you had angel blood in ya..."

"I do..." Dean replied, swallowing the lump caught in his throat.

"Dean, mixing your blood with that of an angel can take you from being human to being immortal in the span of only a few hours." He paused for a moment as the two men in front of him once again glanced at each other. "It's potent stuff, if you have angel blood in you, you're not..."

"I didn't want to survive the fight..." Dean interrupted, his voice dropping as he caught the hunter's eyes. "So Castiel made sure that I didn't."

"I'm not hearing this, tell me I'm dreaming..." Bobby said, turning away from the pair as he passed a hand over his face.

"I can if you want me to, but it's not going to change anything." Dean replied, swallowing hard as he watched Bobby try to take it all in. "Look, I know how this sounds, and I wouldn't believe it either, but it happened. The creepy vibe you're getting from me is because of the angel blood... I needed it to kill Sam and used it as anti-venom to get the demon blood out of his system. I promised Castiel I'd do the job only if I didn't live through it." Dean paused again as Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby listen, we were given the choice to either move on, or to fight down here with the angels... We decided to stay here and fight."

When Bobby turned to face the pair, he was surprised to see that Castiel had joined them. "So it is for real then..." He said softly, the thought of not being there for his boys in their time of need hitting him hard. "I did loose you both tonight..."

"But because of the sacrifice made." Castiel started, taking a step forward as he caught Bobby's eyes. "Mankind survived another war, and will continue to prosper. You should be proud of them..."

"I am." He replied with a smile as he made his way passed the angel to pull both Sam and Dean into a hug. "You boys really are something else, you know that?"

"Yeah we know." Dean said with a smile as the other man finally released him from his grip.

Castiel cleared his throat to get their attention. "It's time to go." He said softly.

"Right..." Same replied as he gave Bobby a smile. "We'll see ya around." He said as he walked over to join the angel.

Dean jingled the keys in his hand before reaching out to pass them to the man he'd considered a father. "Take care of her for me, will ya?" He said with a smile.

"Sure thing, son." Bobby replied as he looked down to the set of keys in his hand.

"If you don't, you can be sure I'll be back to haunt your ass."

Bobby couldn't help but let out a laugh as he watched Dean join Sam and Castiel. "Drop in anytime you want to take her out for a spin..." He said as the trio turned to leave.

As the three walked off into the night, he watched Dean's hand gingerly trace the front fender of the Impala, following the curve carefully before his fingers slid off the front end. In the blink of an eye, they were gone and he stood alone in his driveway next to the car. "God luck boys..." He whispered, pulling the driver's door open and sliding in behind the wheel. He sat there for a moment, thinking of John's boys and how they had spent their lives fighting for others. As he slid the key into the ignition, he couldn't help but wonder just how many more lives they would be able to save, as angels without wings.

******

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!  
-Shugs


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